Reader comments

Poll: Does BlackBerry 10 threaten Windows Phone?

Yes! A lot of blogs are excited about blackberry 10 which will most likely lead to sales. Reminds me of how well Windows 7 was reviewed by bloggers which lead to sales. When comparing windows 8, reviews have been not so good which as lead to a ok launch but has much hate.

Theverge gave it a 7 (7.9 for Lumia 920) and bgr was meh. Pogue gave it a glowing review at least on CNBC which probably carries more weight than Topolsky or Geller. It's not all-out glowing, but it's definitely a 'wow, it's not crap' kinda response.

I think it won't threaten Windows Phone. Windows Phone is a good OS and since Blackberry is... well... Blackberry it won't make a difference. But time will prove it, maybe it is a great phone to compete with iOS and WP8!

The truth is if Blackberry gets strong developer support not only can they compete with Windows Phone but Android and iOS. You think Android is cool because of the customizations?You think iOS is cool because of the hardware alone? Nope. It's the app and game selection. And not just any old apps and games but the BEST available. So when Windiws Phone starts getting some Instagrams and Flipboards and Temple Runs at the same time they are available to other OSs we'll be fighting to catch up for a while. I know we're capable though.

Check the pricing. BlackBerry has lost the advantage of delivering something far superior (BBM) and also the pricing is on the high side. Plus they are targeting a rapidly declining segment of the market. Their competitors have more money and more mind share than BlackBerry too.
My prediction is six months from now various outlets will be reporting BlackBerry looking at suitors.

Concur. If an OS with questionable ecosystem can sell more $200 phones than Windows Phones that you get for free, $50 or $100, then that would tell me it's game over for Microsoft. I just can't imagine that scenario becoming a reality.

You aren't even close on your assessment. You seem to not have read some of these early posts as well as making more of a "fanboy" statement than one of legitimate understanding. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE APPS! What was, and in some cases still is, one of the biggest complaints about WP? APPS! BB has taken care of that.
Carriers were another huge hurddle for WP. BB has that in the bag too. VZ, Sprint, T-Mo, At&t, all are on board and going to push it big.
BB also has a much larger following than you think. All of whom will be getting one of these phones almost immediately and encouraging everyone else they know to get one. And it won't be hard because BB has always had a good reputation in the smartphone industry. MS is still washing off the stink of WinMo 6.x, which wasn't a bad OS if you knew what you were doing. Unfortunately, most people didn't and either didn't want to have to learn, or just desired a phone that worked the way they expected it to right out of the box. Android is facing those kinds of issues, but why is it so popular? Walk into any phone store and tell me what you are bombarded with immediately. about 1,000 different androids handsets, 2 iPhones and 3 WP. Carrier support is huge and WP never had it where BB does.

I agree, unfortunately.
Carrier support is HUGE! with blackberry available on all carriers WP has a hard road ahead. they'll kill us with the reach aspect alone! MS has shot themselves in the foot by allowing exclusivity. Here in Toronto, the Lumia920 is available at ROGERS only! I am with telus with 2yrs left on contract so I dont have one. Rogers (in my opinion) is heavy into iphone, sure they've got 920 exclusivity, but theyre not pushing it! it so frustrating!

You don't think BB will be working off the stink of BB7? Also BB still has half the apps of WP and from some of the early reports some apps just don't work (e.g. ported from the Playbook and parts are off screen, app doesn't work at all).

You've gotta be kidding, even when I had wm6.5 black berry had less apps let alone most of there's were crap, pardon me but you sound like the FanBoy here! Black berry has NEVER had anywhere near the following of ios, Android or even windows mobile that's right I said windows mobile....BB had a steady, small but loyal nitch only because these people wanted to be different and only in the latter years did they began producing devices that even deserved a second look....they were always under powered, the apps were always first Gen while everyone else was moving on to third gen and lets not forget that they now hold almost no place in the market and that will have to be overcome first before sales can be projected especially if your devices are priced over the competition yeah they may have lots of former BB owners out there who are excited that BB is still giving it a go but considering what's out there now and what's already coming from MS and Android in the next few months and continuously in the next year with windows bringing a new 6.1 inch screen quadcore device that is also the thinnest smart phone to date, Microsoft not only reinvented itself it sprouted eight more arms and six of those are for working for windows phone....BB will never be able to catch up to the multi platform experience that only windows phone( Microsoft) nor match the power they have amassed in all the acquisitions Microsoft has continued to make...Microsoft and windows phone have a steady growth pace planned so that when everyone else has run out of steam as the case with IOS the innovations will just keep coming from Microsoft and android? Lets be honest they are scraping and suing for everything they can because the ground is slowly but surely crumbling from underneath there feet...there will be a small surge for BB as always with something new for people to sink there teeth into..but I am positive that without the ability to flood the market with an army of new devices, an is more innovativethan ANYTHING else out there...i seriouslydoubt it will be a serious contender for anybody but android...and lets face it, from the current stock pic...looks like Androidto me... innovative than

Your arguement, unfortunately, is flawed. First, I never said BB had a larger following that the iPhone or Android. And the last I checked, BB was number 1 in the world market until the iPhone came along, then number 2 until Android got going, so I'm not sure why you say that WinMo had a larger following. Like MS, BB has finally learned their lesson that it wasn't about what the OS was capable of, but what developer support you had for apps and what consumers wanted. That is the sole reason why both failed miserably after a decent stent at the top. Yet BB is launching with more apps that WP did, and with some mainstream apps that WP8 STILL DOESN'T have. You say that BB holds almost no place in the market yet you tout WP? You do realize that BB finished out 2012 ahead of WP in the world market right? So it would seem that that "steady growth pace" you mentioned MS having (not sure why BB isn't allowed to have one) also includes surpassing BB. You have also tried to tout the specs of a device. First off, 6.1"!!! are you kidding, that is rediculous for a phone; stupid in design. They are following the gimic of "phablets". They are trying to become like Android so that they can hopefully woo people to them. BB is bowing to what consumers want to an extent but still trying to maintain their foundations, just like Apple did. It took them 3 years of having 4+ inch smartphones out there before they made one themselves, why? Because why fix what isn't broke. Now people want a larger screen for the iPhone so they're giving it to them. By the way, I am using a HTC Titan and my wife a Titan II. I flashed my HTC HD2 with WP as soon as the ROM became available as well as both of us at one point having a Samsung Focus; know your audience. However I am getting a BB10 device on my next upgrade. And in terms of innovations, people are starting to get smarter and realize that OS innovations are actually what they want vice physical spec that they have no idea what they mean or do. BB10 the only OS out there to offer TRUE MULTI-TASKING.

Good luck multitasking with all those "killer" apps that you seem so adamant are available. The app scene for BB10 is far worse than Windows Phone, which is saying a lot. And the whole Android runtime environment thing? A joke, have you seen how sluggish it is?

Lmao!!! If that's the best you can do for your argument " MULTITASKING " then the only flaw here is that you thought you had an argument lol... There is nothing innovative about BB10 let alone game changing about the fact that it has the extra 1GB of ram to help it give true multitasking...hey I'll give you that one , but what good is multitasking if the user experience isn't simple enough or innovative enough to make doing so feel natural or uncompromising to do...the overall user experience is really the first selling point in any device what good is it to have all that power on a device if it feels like a chore every time you try to make use of it...why do you think customization is one of if not the biggest concern with most users, most arguments people have about windows phone are about certain apps they want ported not the lack of anymore and maybe to have a little more umph under the hood not, NOT the user experience...you cant find a UI experience like the one on windows Phone anywhere else...its clean, simple, a simple joy to use and once setup everything simply is there interaction is not a necessity to be informed about the world around you this simplicity is why multitasking is minimal on windows phone...and what is available is all that is needed on my titan even for a power user like myself and the newer wp devices now have all that and the power to do more....check the specs under the hood of the Bb z10 flagship device against the Nokia lumia 920 or even the HTC 8x and Samsung Ativ-s....its over before it even gets warm...you go ahead and get that bad boy! Here's what I bet you won't do....come back in a month or two and tell us how wrong you were when you wasted your money THINKING you were getting something new...lol, sounds alot like the iPhones last launch doesn't it? Enjoy sir!

Let me guess, you're referring to Instagram, in which Kevin and 'nem said that Blackberry was working on, which is the same response MS gave. ROTFLMAO. *Wipes tears from eyes* You blind fanboys and your wild and crazy stories

Can you please explain to me in what parallel universe that Tango and Kik are mainstream apps that everybody uses and loves. Netflix, I'll give you that, but it isn't all said and done yet with their app development.

I've purchased the BlackBerry 10 Q5 and gave my wife the Z10. Both devices, all thanks to the BB10 OS are far superior to any iPhone and Android device to date. My next device will be the rumoured Z50 device.

In regards to Windows 8 in general, its going to be a touch sale IMO, because its interface is not attractive, hence why many are moving to Windows 7. The same applies to Windows 8 Phone. You either love it or hate it.

They did a whole lot better with it than MS did wouldn't you agree? Actually you have to because WP launched with very few apps. I still remember reading on here how excited everyone was the WP Marketplace hit 50,000 apps. BB10 is launching with over 70,000. seems to me they have the leg up on WP don't you? I find it funny that now you are trying to put down BB for a "lack" of apps yet I'm sure some remember how much crying they did about everybody else putting WP down for a lack of apps. Aren't all of you "app" commentors being condescending when you had that when WP first started. Not trying to be mean but ya'll are hypocrites.

No, will not be threatened. BB will have to get thru several bumps before being recognized as a major force. Android and ios have an advantage of being the 1st two players. WP8 is making gains but slowly for all of our liking...

Another thing to add, Windows Phone hasn't enjoyed the amount of positive energy blackberry 10 as received. Its always been, "Windows Phone is ok but damn it lacks apps." With BlackBerry is seems like its, "Wow I'm excited for blackberry 10 and can't wait." this will cause huge pain for Windows Phone if the app gap isn't closed pronto. Which ever of these two platforms closed the app gap quickest and entrenched in businesses, will be the third platform.

After seeing no XBL games for weeks, no gameloft games, no aggressive promotion, no basic featuress like orientation lock, separate volume controls, etc. it's not the media that wants WP to fail, it's Microsoft.

No universal search
No notification system (and dont give me that live tiles bs because its not the same)
No screen orientation lock,
No way to fully customize the OS other than 20 colors and arrangement of tiles.

Idk, people like that and MSFT tends to be a little too late and ignore what people want.

Universal search is not good, I prefer to have separated search for web, emails or apps (remember how horrible was google desktop?).
Live Tiles ARE the best notification center ever !
Other points are ridiculous baby-crying things.

The email experience is horrific: Can't edit the text in a forward or reply. Can't attach anything other than images from the mail client. Can't recieve a message from one account and forward/replay to it from another. And there are no alternative mail apps available.

There was a halfway usable PDF reader on my Arrive. There is nothing remotely usable for PDFs on my Lumia 920.

IE is a terrible browser for mobile as the world has standardized around Webkit/Gecko, but there are no serious alternatives. Also, no forward button? Really? No, really?

Windows 8 is a crashfest. Windows 7 wasn't so stable, either, but at least it could go a few days without dying.

What happened to Zune?!? Am I really supposed to use the craptastic Xbox music? No thanks! And why in Gosh's name can't I scrub through a music track in 2013?

And I know this was already mentioned, but notifications are the absolute worst.

I love Metro. I love the feel of WP. It is gorgeous and ergonomic and wonderful in many ways. But some of the missing features are just so basic it is absolutely unimaginable that they aren't there. But, there they aren't!

I know the under-the-hood changes have made WP8 a lot more modern. But in many ways it represents a pretty marked step backwards, and in no way does it mark a major step forward, over WP7. The major complaints from WP7 are all still with us and a few new ones have been added as insult to injury. The only thing I can think of that my 920 can do markedly better than my Arrive is act as a USB storage drive, hardware differences withstanding.

Universal search, i give you that. I miss that feature from my pre3. WebOS had/has the best implementation of that hands down.
Orientation lock, why, for which section of the OS. If its apps u are talking about, im pretty sure that devs can implement that.
Notification system. Of course its not the same, that why wp is unique. If i wanted to swipe down, id get a droid or ios or bb10 or the soon to be sailfish os.
Customization. What os is fully customizable. Fare enough the others are a little more free but can you change the look of android n ios right out the hat without the assistance of an app or hacking??
I ain't saying wp8 is perfect but for me, it offers a more unique experience.

Not sure where you live but in the uk, there are Windows Phone 8 adverts everywhere. I personally feel that its MS implementation into business that will determine whether BB will challenge WP. Done right, BB has no chance.

People do get used to things and hate changes.. Well this is a game changer for the Blackberry users. Microsoft will be fine if they canlimit the number of mid-range devices and focus on delivering killer hardware in addition to the OS by having requirments and specifications.

I see blackberry more as a competitor of apples then windows phone. 1 company making the os and the phone. And any company eating into the hegemony of apple and google is good, 4 OSes will make developers more aware of the fact that there is more than just Android and IOS out there.

+1 on that. Much to the disagreement of everybody out there, I think there will be 4 players, with Ubutu and FireFox picking up the table scraps for a year or two then falling by the wayside. Why does there need to be only 3? 4 is not a bad thing at all. Especially if one of those platforms is doing everything they can to make it easy to port apps over and they have; that would be BB making it easy for Android apps, for those who didn't know.

Lol, so that's it then....maybe that's why it looks so much like the android Os...lol! And porting android apps over isn't all ways a good thing lets hope that they have far stronger standards on virus protection and development protocol than Android does on their buggy, virus packing app filled Google play store...yeaaaah, that usually starts with the developer but should end at the app submission process, you know...like with windows phone!? Lol and even ios is better when it comes to app quality. You don't here of windows phone or ios getting a virus from an app and bricking...that's usually from some novice trying to hack the device...dude you might as well go get an Android device...are there any proprietary BB apps to speak of at least? You know like Samsung, Nokia and Htc have done with WP? No? Hmmm.... Im still looking and I don't see where they say that portability from Android to BlackBerry is going to push it far ahead in the game of WP...that all sounds good but there is one thing you forgot...well actually many but we'll focus on the fact that while they may make it easy to port apps over to BB its still up to the developer to do so which has been alot of not all but alot of the problem for windows phone...but it's also the standards that windows phone has on app submission, you don't create a UI this innovative ( yes I like that word ) and someone just slap any old crappy, virus filled bug riddled app on it....the UI experience MUST be consistent across the board on all devices something ios and now windows phone have gotten right otherwise it may as well be an Android OS plagued device....sorry pal, you keep blowing holes in your own boat hull... :-) this is fun!

Well I'll try not blow another hole with this comment...but even WPCentral has done articles on the complaints that devs have with MS and the app submission process. Not just small timers but even more established devs. So you really shouldn't go around boasting of MS on that front. The porting process is something that BB has taken into consideration. Do you really think they would be that dumb and not make sure the app is good to go before allowing it on their system? I also wouldn't start boasting about proprietary apps. Do I really need to tell you why? I suggest you go ask some 8X owning sports fan how much they like their ESPN app. Proprietary apps don't sell an OS they sell hardware. So if you argue BB should have proprietary apps to boost sales, your arguement is has no substance. They build the phones and the OS. Your comment is of a fanboy type not someone who actually knows the OS and it's functionality. I love my Titan I but BB10 is offering the same fresh feeling UI that first attracted me to WP7. My BB Playbook is a huge reason why I'm getting a BB10 phone. Playbook is hands down by far superior to the iPad as far as functionality. Don't even bring apps into this arguement since apps have nothing to do with OS functionality. I happen to own an iPad 3 too and use my Playbook way more.

If you understood as much as you squawk we probably could have ended this discussion a long time ago....but hey! Maybe you're just eager to learn because you have no clue what you're talking about...first of all, not once did I say that proprietary apps sell the Os and for your information they don't sell hardware either but having apps does, something not you or I have seen yet on BB 10 let alone how solid or not the new Os is...so until you see this cascade of apps flowing to BB I wouldn't use that as a selling point, second proprietary apps DO sway lots of people in one direction or another, Nokia, Android and IOS all have theirs as well as carriers and some are pretty da%% cool...the point is BB doesn't even have that to boast about therefore neither do YOU! I can tell you that I don't care about how many people complain about the submission process on WP lol....obviously it wasn't and still isn't a problem for the well over 200.000 apps in the marketplace and growing, and whether or not BB is or isn't dumb enough not to protect their system isn't the argument my eager student...its how well and consistent they do,something NO ONE can argue about with WP, demand quality and you pass the quality on to the customer....yes the process is slow and tedious but it's solid and consistent and all those fly by night, drag and drop, create an app in just 5 min so called app developers have to either up there game or pedal that crap somewhere else...like when all the creeps kept submitting twenty to thirty crappy apps all at once, Microsoft shut them down and changed the entire process so that this wouldn't happen anymore sure some quite useless apps get into the market but these a pps are in no way harmful to your device other than the fact that you may get frustrated and toss it at a wall or something but these app developers stuck to the guidelines of the development and the submission of the app....look basically I could care less what your arguement is for BB but I wouldn'tbaae it on apps, especiallyapps that aren't there yet or a device you know very little about its build quality, how stable is the new OS , how consistentis the marketplace, how aggressive will support for the device be, how many choices will BB have for customers to choose from...I'llsay it again...have fun.... apps

I pointed this out in another comment probably on a different post, but aren't you being just a little condescending toward a new OS that just might be very attractive to people? Shall we really go down the path of how stable the new OS will be, about how consistent the market place will be, and how many apps are available? Either you are not an early adopter (ie: used WP since it launched) and you have no idea of all the issues that people had with both hardware and software, or you just for some reason got snobby with how well things are going now (no offense, not putting you down). There is a list of things that went wrong with WP when it launched. Some of the issues people had weren't there with WinMo 6.5 so why would they have to deal with them with WP7? Why are apps not updated to WP8 even? Worse yet, why are some apps still not updated to WP7.5!? Not the little spam apps, big name apps. Heck it took months for Netflix to finally update itself to have some sort of "quick resume". Do we also need to discuss the amount of errors that still happen with the WP Marketplace? Speaking of the Market place, how many apps did WP7 start out with? Why did WPCentral have big celebrations at 25,000, 50,000, 100,000? Isn't that playing the hypocrite when you put down a new OS because of the few amount of apps it has when it is starting out with more than 10X the apps that WP started with? On top of that, the more popular apps that WP didn't start with. I'm pretty sure BB10 is launching with "Copy and Paste" too, something that WinMo 6.5 had yet for some reason MS thought it was a good idea to not have at launch. Multi-tasking...that took another year before MS got on board. Also about how many times the OS froze and the battery needed to be pulled to restart the phone? Yes BB had the same issues but you are talking like WP started out perfect and continues to raise the bar of perfection. When you discuss apps as an arguement to how much better your OS is vs others, that is nothing but fanboy arguements. You haven't made a solid point as to why BB10 is an inferior OS to WP.

Im not going even go there because when it comes to being there from the beginning you couldn't match me if you tried...i was on board since photon! I was one of the first 25 ( i know this for a fact) to download and utilize the app development software distributed by Microsoft for windows phone app development and that was before the actual release of the first wp7 device ever rolled off the assembly line SON! And I will happily send any pic you want of the fact that i still own and possess every windows phone i ever had starting with the original windowsCE devices in the mid 90's back when there was no iPhone, no android and people recognized windows mobile for what it was...a powerful business tool..not an entertainment device...i have one of almost every HTC device and one of each of the latest devices HTC makes...what you call problems i call growing pains because i have seen what it is and takes for a product to grow and a company...and slow and steady always fares far better than those that come out going 200 miles an hour...they soon run out of steam....hey there is room for one more but not everyone can have the same slice of pie...yes Microsoft is still having to earn it place in the mobile phone or smartphone industry and there have been problems along the way but they will succeed, why? Because they are consistent, persistent and have a product with the most potential and the best R&D infrastructure to get it there...bottom line is we..well, YOU will just have to see what BB truly has to offer....enjoy! Oh by the way i had an iPhone once took it back the next day...felt too much like a toy, Honestly it did! Had two Android devices, my touch pro and Motorola droid 2, didnt like the lag, the cluttered feel and iphonish screen layout and far to many freezes and viruses.....i won't be commenting on this subject anymore its been fun and you're a worthy and fun debater...never the less we shall see, best regards..

I think once the honeymoon period of BB10 is over people will realize that Microsoft's ecosytem is more filled out than BB's is.
However I do hope BB10 helps MS realize that WP might not be the defacto 3rd platform. MS needs to work hard and get the WP apps and games going again.

I dont think its necessarily a "threat" to wp . However , Blackberry previously known as RIM , is pushing bb10 more than Microsoft pushed wp8. Which of course has huge impact on the market and sales. It also helps them that the general media is giving them a lot more antention than they did to wp8. A good example is the verge blog and engadget , the verge editors commenting on bing maps in bb10 calling it "the enemy". And now the general question being "is google going to chose bb10 over wp8 in terms of services?

How is Microsoft not pushing WP8? I can't tell you how many commercials I've seen of Windows 8, WP8, and Surface. Also last time I was in NYC, Microsoft had advertising everywhere. Blackberry? Nothing. Give credit where its due, MS doesn't slack on marketing. What they DO need to improve is showing off features rather than focusing on glitz\coolness though (IMHO)

Features? Like what ? KIDS CORNER?
lol it seems that wp8 was overhyped by the fanboys and too silent for MSFT to say . It really dissapointed in the LACK OF FEATURES. Yeah they have cool somewhat gimmicky screen lock picture changes, but very usable in the longrun.

I guess MSFT forgot its actually a software company , and like the other commenter said its not the media that wants WP to fail, its MSFT themselves.

Yes, Kid's Corner is a valid feature/selling point to show. I guess I meant more "show what the OS can do", which they have shown to an extent in commercials (i.e. Live Tiles). One of my favorite features of the OS is the contact management and the fact that I can keep in touch with specific groups (i.e. family, close friends) independently and have all social media, contact, pictures in one place.
Other features they should be touting more is the inclusion of Office. To me, that's pretty big selling point, at least to business users whom MS is trying to woo away from Blackberry (and nowadays iOS). Skydrive integration is another feature/selling point, fact that you can update a document on your Windows PC and it syncs and you can view/edit it from your phone is also pretty sweet. Yes, you can argue you can do same with Dropbox but this is "baked in".
I'm not saying WP8 is a perfect OS, far from it, but I'm rooting for underdog here. I switched to WP because I was hardcore iOS user and quite frankly the experience of using WP was a breath of fresh air. Hell, I wish Blackberry the best, the more competition, the better.

A lot of people still don't consider wp8 the third choice either , and for good reason . How Microsoft has failed to gain the wanted attention for wp8 , blackberry seems to have it for now. I guess we will see if MSFT really brings out the big guns and stops slacking off in the sofware aspect.

Well i kind of understand why many are impressed with BB. I mean come on BB has worked hard in getting apps for BB 10, the same can't be said for Wp8 in regards to MS. The only one working to get apps is Nokia, i mean seriously there is not one decent Pdf reader in the store and that after 3 months of launch but BB10 already has adoe reader built in. Everyone know MS can do better than they are but they are not. BB10 will be a treat to Wp if people realize the difference in effort but the BB hardware is not impressive at all. One must be really stupid to ditch Wp8 nokia device for it imho.

Of course it will. Any brand with name recognition can threaten an OS with a 5% share in the marketplace. WP has nicer design on many phones but MS has allowed some problems (pdf support, the "other" folder creep that is devouring phones, lack customizable volume controls, mediocre app selection and poor Xbox support) to persist during the period BB had nothing. Anyone who thinks a competitor doesn't threaten the nascent WP OS is fooling themselves.

Yeah, I think WP is at this point almost done for as a major player. I think BB has just as big a hill to climb at this point and can't tell who will win, but really if they are not one of the big two then they are not real players as it stands now and I see no signs of that changing anytime soon.
Before the flames start, I owned an HD7s, and moved to a Titan II and used them forever. At work I'm over my entire companys cell phones, what we purchase and all. I came in loving my WP device but after trying to use for business purposes there are only two choices. iOS or Android. We use android, I have moved everyone to S3 phones except for a few users who are on iOS. We really have no choice, 90% of the people who work here need an app specific to our business that is ONLY availaible on Android. The few others do not need that so iOS will work - but WP and BB are missing apps that are NEEDED to be a viable work phone.
We are getting a new business phone system and I have looked 8-9 of the biggest phone system makes now through multiple vendors. A big point is the ability to have your desk phone follow you, or acces your voicemails from your desk number to your cell, or to hand off calls from desk phone to cell as you are heading out of the office. EVERY system works for iOS, 90% work with Android and NONE work for WP or BB.
I love WP, but I think they waited to long and are too far behind to ever catch up at this point. Makes me sad. I now have also left WP and am happily using my S3. I can dream of WP doing all I need one day, but I bet it is years before that ever would even be possible now. BB has the exact same problem at WP now, they squandered the customer base that had and getting it back once lost is twice as hard.

MS Unified Communictaions. I get my voicemail in my email as an attachment I can download and save. My android phone sucks working with exchange, but I can still access them, nothing but errors. I have 3 offices located at different locations and my desk phone is logged in at each location. When I am on the road with web access I can make a call through the lync software using the built in speakers and mic in my laptop. WP integrates right into that environment. Not only with that but with our SCCM 2012 system for management, etc... UC allows you to forward your desk phone to your cell phone if your are away. Simple as changing a setting in a drop down on the local machine client.
All of which works with WP8, android, and iOS through the lync mobile client. What app do you require for work that is available on iOS, android, but not windows phone?

Not sure but, I dont really think so. I read the whole Z10 review and watched the videos, I have been following it for a while as I am just wondering what is to come from them (I had a BB for years for work). As some things are neat, I think the the swipes for everything will be too complex for some people. Even the reviewer said he didn't know how to do something and figured it out days later. It might be nice for some but, others will hate it and find a major change from everything else that might be in a bad way.

The Z10 reviewer was no question a 100% blackberry fanboy and I am sure he wants nothing more than a blackberry (just by the way he was talking, bashing other products and it seemed like he was looking for reasons to bash them).

Personally, not in just saying am a windows phone fan, I would have no interest in BB10, I dont like the layout, I dont like the features and I dont like how I need to go into a hub to see notifications. I find it limited, I think Windows Phone, iOS and even Android does that part better. My live tiles suit me perfectly for my needs in that area.

Things to note that DID interest me a little.
1. Flash on the web browser (thought flash was dropping ALL mobile support ??? WTF ?)
2. Android app emulator ? (really ? It can run all android apps ?)

As a OS, it will be reviewed and loved by fanboys with high reviews, I cant say it will take over the world and personally, it will never enter my hands (unless my company forces me to get one). I dont think Microsoft has anything to worry about with BB10, it will have its fit in the marketplace but, I dont think it will be taken very well by the non-fanboys.

BB10 is certainly an improvement. But nothing game changing imo.
Lumias, 8x/s and Ativs are prettier and have a nicer spec sheet, but BB simply has more momentum to push it through and make more of an intial impact thn WP8. As much as I love WP8 and think it's superior, BB has more user muscle.

Blackberry is a nice OS, but windows phone is awesome, windows as more ecosystem with SkyDrive, office, Xbox, Skype, bing windows 8, hotmail/outlook, and surface tablets. Marketing is very important and fixing Facebook and getting instagram to help push windows. I also feel Microsoft need there own premium phone made by them

Is it a viable threat? Of course.
With the fragile state of Windows Phones marketshare, a gust of wind is a threat. Is it a threat interms of innovation and software design... no but Windows Phone has always exceled in those areas.

BB10 to me seems like a combination of WP, iOS, and Android. Some aesthetics look like they were taken from all 3 systems. BB10's lock screen is overly reminiscent of WP's lock screen. The way the icons work look a lot like iOS and Android. It just looks like everything else that's out already and this won't save BlackBerry at all.

Microsoft should immediately buy RIM and kill Blackberry. There should be an easy inexpensive path to make Users move to Windows phone. Costly for MS in the short term with it hopefully paying off over time.

FYI...there is no "RIM" anymore...RIM is now BlackBerry...so, for BlackBerry to sell BlackBerry...it would cost a pretty penny. I don't think MS would ever be able to recoop that cost when the sole mission was just to buy it to shut it down.

I like BB10, but I think a lot of it is just because it's something new. I'm really digging the all gesture interface though. But, if I was going to leave WP, I see no reason to get this over an Android.

As long as Microsoft can win over Enterprise, I don't see BB getting to much strength in mobile. What will determine any platform right now is the ecosystem. Microsoft new look is everywhere, ( New PC's, Xbox dash board) and it will only be time before it gains more popularity. Office 365 should really push Win Phone 8 in Enterprise.

Maybe a biased comment here: Everytime I have gone to my local ATT store, I overhear potential WP8 customers purposely steered away from WP8 to an Android phone. I wonder if BB will get the same treatment for potential customers? In any event, imo BB has missed the boat. If WP8 can lock up apps for a few more popular ones such as Instagram, it can take off! This could eliminate the only reason I heard sales reps give to potential WP8 customers to dissuade them from buying....

As I understand it, BB, collectively (all iterations), has more users than all of WP..BB has something like 80 million users. If Blackberry is able to entice just a measely 20% of their current users to upgrade to BB10, that would be more than all of the current WP population. Not to mention, if they grab users from iOS, Android, WP, and Symbian...they will decidedly retain 3rd place.

BB10 looks 'different', so my interest was piqued; however, I am not interested looking at a grid of icons at this point. I really hope that Microsoft spruces up on their Enterprise/Security efforts - If they don't, what a huge missed opportunity.

The only thing I "fear" (for lack of better words) is that corporations that are already in bed with BlackBerry won't alter their course. Their IT already knows the infrastructure and the business won't look outside the box (if it’s not broken, don't fix it).
Have I seen corporations looking at WP8? Absolutely! But many of them have legacy security in effect and aren't in the mood to alter it, preventing corporate email from syncing to WP8 devices (due to legacy security policy). BlackBerry (and unfortunately iPhone) are just the trend that business are familiar with and won't break rank to see the alternative.

well personally i think that microsoft shouldnt fear them but most deff should not underestimate them. mindshare for bb10 is alot more positive, carrier relations, familiarity, and work are all things bb10 has and microsoft has got to get downright serious about taking on the competition. apps to expensive to make pay for developement, take your suggestions box and pull out every critical idea that has been thrown at you and materialize them into your os, your close with facebook and instagram, and all these other companies collaborate, market your phones features and uniqueness, as opposed to uniqueness alone. being different is not enough show them why being different is amazing. all imho

Of course they pose a threat. We'd all be kidding ourselves to say otherwise. BB10 is creating a ton of buzz right now. More than WP ever has. And all four carriers are on board from the get go.

Windows Phone has a bad name because Windows Mobile sucked balls back in the day, and that's all the average consumer can think of when they hear a Windows phone? Yuck! They don't even realize its a completely different operating system.

I guess that depends where you're living. In my country, neither WP nor BB are a threat to the iPhone at all .. BB even less so than WP. Carriers don't push BB devices here. Yes, they are available, but there is not much advertising going on for them. Also, in peoples minds, BB is known to be a business-only phone, even though in businesses, you see mostly iPhones (one reason might be that in most big companies in my country, you bring your own devices ... and most people have iPhones.
Globally, I found it hard to predict, though ...
IMHO, WP shouldn't fear them. They shouldn't underestimated BB either, though ... you normally pay a high price for such arrogance.

Considerin WP8 hasnt even gotten %15 marketshare , im starting to think that BB10 actually has a chance. I hope this is a wake up call for MSFT that they arent the "cool guys" anymore , they need to stay competitive, negotiate directly with GOOD devs and start adding software features missing from a real modern mobile OS.

As much as i hate to admit it i think bb10 has a very good chance of succeeding past wp8 and microsoft is too blame... They had a huge chance to take bb's share of the market and they just didnt put the work in. Microsoft should have aquired nokia when nokia was in finacial trouble then used nokias staff to head wp then boom solid but microsoft as big as they are they are spread too thin doing too many different things

To me it looks like BB and WP8 will be scrambling for whatever market share that hasn't already been gobbled up by Android and iOS and yes I think it does threaten WP8. If the phone is available in sufficient numbers and sans any glaring OS glitches they'll do well. Looks like it'll be available across all carriers and priced well. A lot of folks have been waiting for this phone (I was one of 'em till Nov of last year) so there's probably a lot of pent up demand; they'll probably sell everyone they make .

The Z10 = taking the rear of an iPhone 5 and slap a screen on it, cant say i like the design, but i dont think BB10 will threaten windows phone - more like, both BB10 and Windows Phone will eat into iOS and android's market share a bit. Nothing too significant, but both could live on an an alternative for someone who wants something different, i dont think both WP and BB10 will be a huge smashing success yet so far, but they will live on - until the app count increases tremendously. Quantity is not everything but people like to use quantity to judge things, so, we definitely need to see more apps in both OSes.

BB will threaten windows phone. For one thing, my Lumia 920 can't connect to my enterprise entwork which uses WPA2-Enterprise protocol whereas my HD7 has no problem so do other Android and iphones. It's this kind of detail that I think the windows phone will fail in the enterprise.

Brand Loyalty is the only thing they have, but to price is at 199.99 is a bit much. It doesn't compare to both ios or android and to me, there isn't much of a compelling reason to switch or to choose bb10 over ios or android.

While wp8 has its shortcomings, it is priced realistically and also is different from all platforms which is appealing to some. BB10, is a variation of what ios/android can do, but much less. To price it at the level of an iphone and not have the same capabilties in terms of apps is a bad move.

If people still believe BB10 has a play in corporate, as companies moved towards BYOD, there isn't a need for BES especially when they have to invest in it.

From a corporate standpoint (I work in telecom for a major global company) its too costly to upgrade to BES 10, and we won't be supporting BB10 devices moving forward. The majority of our users are on iOS, and will stay that way for the foreseeable future. Android is just too buggy, and causes more problems than it solves. We're testing WP8 to see if it will work in our environment, as there is enough user contact to justify it. The future is pretty much up in the air, but in business, app support is a big deal.
BlackBerry's killer is the fact its just too expensive to buy into. Everything else, not so much.

BB10 has taken best features across iPhone, Android and WP8 and polished and integrated them further. Its hard not to notice Hub, Tile, Social integration features of WP8.
That said, BB doest not seem to have the hatred Microsoft has in the tech reviewer community and that is going to help it. The device is good enough for die hard BB fans to switch back from iPhone, Android, WP8.
For me, am totally sold on Nokia 920 and WP8 and dont see any reason to move in coming years.

Yes, I'm worried in the short term. It looks so much like Windows Phone I'm concerned people will opt for it based on familiarity. Even though it's a whole new OS. Sales pros will have to be quick to show the distinct advantages because I'm worried that if people are attracted to the tile type look BB will be the choice based on name.

I think that BB10 is a threat to Windows Phone because, 1) media bias, 2) long standing reputation, 3) they still have a good lead over Windows Phone in the third place position, which will probably entice more developers, 4) most Blackberry users don't care about apps and finally, 5) they can get a modern smartphone with a keyboard. They are some of the most loyal customers just because of this one reason.

so far it looks pretty impressive, the thing is WP8 did not get that big a lead, BB can easily take 3rd and control of it. but like everything else it depends on apps. so far both WP8 and BB10 are lacking real apps, whoever gets better apps will win.

I think that Blackberry will only be popular in The US, Canada, Mexico, UK, Nigeria and Indonesia. Beyond there, it will be very much so a Windows Phone world... To the point where some countries have Windows Phone more than iPhone (particularily Italy and Finland)

Hey maybe one day people will start getting really bored of IOS and android phone and windows phone and blackberry will be the top mobile phone companys. I mean alot of people I know are already bored of apple iPhone but they just keep it for the apps. :/ I think apps/games should be getting a waaay bigger push from Microsoft it should be one of the top 3things there put there money toward. 1.Marketing(get people to love and trust the brand. Show them why they need windows phone above the competition and better express your 3screens and a cloud vision I don't see enough or good enough commercials showing this major selling point off) 2.Apps and game(which means give developers more incentive and put a lot more money toward this) 3.Windows phone exclusives(be it anywhere from apps, games or phone features. Things u can only do on windowsphone and no other phone

Blackberry has been bleeding customers like there is no tomorrow. If this is enough to even stop that bleeding this could spell trouble for Windows Phone. It has mindshare especailly amongst the Enterprise base and that is important. I know in our agency we have been switching to iPhones slowly but it is actually a pretty bad solution compared to what was Blackberry. It was just the archaic feel of Blackberry compared to the newer OS's that made the top level people and thus the rest of us switch. So is this a threat to Windows Phone? I think it is we are not at such a great market share yet that it doesn't take much to threaten Windows phone. MS Needs to appeal hard and strong for enterprise users and do it quickly.

Nokia's stock languished after WP8 until actual financials began appearing and showing growth. Apple's stock dropped the day they released the iPhone 4s due to perceived consumer dissapointment (it then grew to $700 over the next 12 months)...RIM's (or BB, whatever) stock will respond a bit more accurately once the phones are widely released (see US) and sales reports start becoming real and not speculation.

Investors are always shocked when new devices do not cure cancer or fly. When Nokia showed off the most interesting new hardware I've seen in a phone (Lumia 920 with high refresh rate screen, OIS, wireless charging, etc.), with known quantity software (no surprises), their stock went down.

That's a great question, I just don't think it's the right question. BB has an enormous install base and those in enterprise who remained faithful will continue. Y old employer of 33 years ditched BB because of service issues, not at all hardware related so they won't be jumping back anytime soon. I continue to be of the opinion that the consumer retail market now drives b-b solutions and sales, sighting the brief unopposed march of Apple into the workplace as IT depts scrambled to assimilate the CEO's Iphone into the enterprise. WP is in a stellar position to flow into the workplace because of its growing retail fan base and while W8 & WP8 are still very much in the acceptance phase, better channel solutions will always favor the incumbent desktop or laptop coupled with a matching portable device. W7/8 WP7/8. BB will do "okay" in the consumer retail market but edge goes to WP...

Z10 looks great ahem iPhone anyone??
BB10 they backed best of both WP and iOS. live tile and nasty grid icon ^puke

bb10 looks way too complicated to use.

got the playbook when it first came out i think i only used it about 10 or 15 times thats it. no kids at home wants to use it. i put the Surface, iPad and the Playbook together, none of ma nef n neice go for playbook, its always iPad and Surface.

Of course BB10 is a threat to WP8. BB has a certain nostalgia (and user base) that Windows phones never had. There are many BB users who reluctantly switched platforms. It "appears" BB10 has development support and if they can port quality apps more quickly than WP8, it could be a HUGE issue.

I think this could be a positive overall. The more options folks are presented with, then hopefully the more likely they are to feel like there's more viable options besides Android and iOS. In a perfect world, all the different OS's would have roughly equivalent marketshares, thus producing a very competitive environment. Features, stability, security, etc., would need to be focused on as selling points, plus the diverse environment would help limit the damage of exploits and malware on the public.
Just look at desktop Windows right now - its innate security measures are countered by it being the biggest, most profitable target, thus a great incentive to tear it to shreds. A less popular OS could try and get away with less security because its not a worthwhile target. Android has a great, open system that puts it as more risk than other OS's, but its popularity really compounds that...

i have been following the development of windows 8/ windows phone 8 and the coming of BB 10 for some time now. specially as i am considering to move out of the stone age - since i am still using a WM 6.5 device - and i have to say the more i read and compare the more disappointed i am!

But before i go into the details of my thoughts, let me agree to one point that has been bothering me for months:
I totally agree with everyone who says that general media is against Microsoft - like 90% of the reviews hate windows 8 - but i was among the people who had early access to the system thanks to my Dreamspark account, and i installed it on my 2008 Dell Latitude E6400 and its a delight! I love it, Microsoft has done a great job- but it seems to be discredited no matter were you look. Tech-website, one would think know better, but the things the claim and say, seems like they have never ever used Win8 and wrote reviews, they hate on things and describe a nightmare of user experience that is not close to what i have experienced myself! I simply don't get the hate! Win8 has done so good in my office, that even a mac user in our group was desperately trying to install it on his MacBook!
The logical step was to get a windows phone 8 for me, but i am really having my doubts now! I don't understand Microsoft! it seems like some of the units are lead by absolutely brainless people! I wish i could teach them one or two things about being competitive! They make a Kids corner - good nice, how about setting up a secure layer like BB10 does- that is innovative and a great idea for Business users - specially when MS talks about bring your own device solutions - how about having done a business corner! They lack VPN- hello? Who in their right mind lacks VPN and thinks about getting into business environment? (by the way Windows 8 VPN sucks too, all stupid Iphones and droid, can access IPsec-Cisco protocol by default, but Windows 8 cant- Anyways, thank god you can install Cisco on it, although i would have liked to see an integrated solution)! So no VPN, no real BYOD layer and how about leaving out Remote Desktop - so IT admins stay with their Iphone! Oh add a horrible useless calendar, super poor Bluetooth support, and make it difficult to sync with your own software like outlook and you got a winner for Professional users right? NO!! and what gets me really mad is my windows mobile 6.5 and even older devices could DO ALL THESE THINGS! Remote Desktop, VPN, Outlook sync... they are like Europe of the dark ages, forgot all their know-how of the past!
And indeed i like the BB10, i have watched some reviews and i do think its innovative! People claiming otherwise are being blind, they have nicely implemented business with entertainment, and ok quite Iphonish looks (i don't like that part). The hardware seems to be nice, and yes the software seems to combine ideas from Ios and WinPhon but in a good sense! They have an excellent business info-hub, great multitasking and life-tile like overview, while maintaining all important office function! The only professional function that comes with WP8 is officE! and a secure kernel, but so is QNX! I think WP8 will need a lot of work, better leaders, and more innovative and competitive people trying to bring some intellect and pride to the business. At the moment they are succors in the third fourth row! i mean after the release of BB10 i seriously don't know what to say, even RIM has been able to pull off a more innovative comeback than MS, and that really really gets me mad- as i wanted to extend my ecosystem with WP8!
At this point i would like to say that nokia and HTC are doing a great job making WP8 attractive! HTC has some nice designs, while nokia is combining high quality design with excellent soft-hardware! The only reason to get WP is Lumia 920 - END!

Its a shame that a company like MS, with its capacities, great MS-Research, marketing power is so far behind in innovation and competitiveness, that RIM could so quickly catch up with a worthy OS! I am waiting till end of Feb. to see what Nokia is bringing out for the Barca- if the hardware doesn't strike me - BB10 it is, no matter how much i love Win8 - Winphone is still less powerful and flexible than WM 6.5 which is ancient! Even though getting a BB means running the risk of no updates for the next years to come as the might go bankrupt!

+1 on that one. Finally, someone who actually criticizes the faults and doesn't just shout, "YEAH BUT WE HAVE MORE APPS". I thoroughly enjoyed my WinMo 6.5 device and even am considering finding one on craigslist just to have as a toy when I want to change things up a bit. It's always nice to have options. I'm still going to keep my Titan I after getting a BB10 device too, for the same reason. Just to change things up. But wholey committed to BB10 for my next upgrade. And by the way, those "leaders" they need to get rid of, shouldn't be plural, it's singular....Ballmer!

I haven't really heard any great reviews about BB10 aside from 'it's not that bad'. Unfortunately considering the fact it really offers nothing new over iOS, Android, or WP8 'not bad' won't cut it. The UI looks like a b-list clone of Android. Sorry, BB's future doesn't look too bright.

Now that I have done more reading, Yes, Microsoft MIGHT have to worry, Why ? Apps and games...http://gizmodo.com/5980446/40-per-cent-of-bb10s-apps-are-wrappered-android-conversions?tag=blackberry
Devs can convert a Android app to run on blackberry in a lot of cases with out even changing a line of code.
These ported apps work completely fine on Blackberrys, there's no reason for people to be saying this. Maybe if they actually ran the apps they would see this. I am a developer for Blackberry. Most android apps can be ported over without changing ANY code. Others need some change in code. I can even download apps from android .apk and convert them to a .bar file and side load it on my Blackberry. Yes some don't work as great as others but they are all good working apps. If the app is just converting the .apk to a .bar you will need to know Android gestures like back, show keyboard... To the android developer, you must be talking about the OLD blackberry because they are all about developers now. If you need to reach blackberry it is not a problem and it is so easy to sell apps in blackberry world. The developer forums are unbelievably useful and I have had no issues with blackberry at all. IF your app is a top app in android you more than likely it would be a top app for blackberry. Blackberry developers make more than any other mobile developers. I think you need to actually check it out and you would be surprised.

From a post there. If Microsoft could figure out a way to convert a iOS app to Windows Phone with out changing code for smaller apps and most lower end games, it could have an advantage here but, sadly, one of the claimed biggest problems with WP8 is the applications compared to iOS or android, and if BB can do this, we should worry a little...

Windows Phone has no chance to gain any market share. BlackBerry 10 is just too good, has the best OS ever released for mobile, the HUB, Peek, Flow etc., takes out old borring iOS and very buggy and virus infested Android. BlackBerry's QNX RTOS is untouchable.
BlackBerry is back in a very big way, BlackBerry only needs to market it properly. If for some reason BB failes, then both iOS and Android would drive us back into time with old useless OS's. At least Windows Phone shows a little innovaiton.